ICANN will proceed with its plan to begin accepting
applications for new TLDs on January 12, as scheduled.

Concurrently, all NGOs, IGOs and commercial stakeholders
concerned about protecting their brands will be given the opportunity to have
those brands registered, without cost, on a temporary "Do Not Sell" list to be
maintained by ICANN during the first application round.

ANA will assemble a team from the interested constituencies
to work with ICANN leadership during the first application round to develop
proposals for addressing deficiencies that have been identified in ICANN's
program. If this group achieves consensus with respect to any proposals, those
proposals will be voted on by the ICANN Board.

At the end of the first application round, should the parties
continue to disagree, the temporary "Do-Not-Sell" list will sunset, and all
parties will be free to pursue their legal and equitable rights without
prejudice.

"This is an
eminently reasonable and simple proposal," said Liodice, whose organization has
assembled and continues to build the diverse, global industry coalition
opposing the rollout of ICANN's TLD expansion program, CRIDO, which currently
comprises more than 160 members. "It reflects the serious concerns publicly
expressed by numerous constituencies - concerns that were most recently
acknowledged in a January 3, 2012 letter to ICANN by Lawrence E. Strickling,
Department of Commerce (DOC) Assistant Secretary for Communications and
Information, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Within the DOC, NTIA administers the contract that requires ICANN to be in
compliance with its Affirmation of Commitments obligations to operate in the
public interest."

Liodice
continued, "Destructive and costly litigation can hopefully be avoided if ICANN
accepts this proposal and if all parties work together in good faith during the
first application period to develop practical and reliable solutions to the
challenges that have been repeatedly raised." With the application period set
to begin on January 12, 2012, the ANA letter requests a response from ICANN
within two days.

In addition to the proposed
solution, the ANA letter lays out a timeline from November 2011 to the present
during which more than 25 major public statements have been made and
significant events have transpired, all underscoring the breadth and depth of
opposition to ICANN's top-level domain program. These include hearings by
Committees of the U.S. House and Senate, letters from federal policymakers,
statements by prominent Internet community leaders and security experts, and
letters from U.S. and international NGOs, IGOs and business organizations.
"Never before has ICANN faced this level of public scrutiny," said Liodice. "We hope ICANN will accept this simple,
temporary solution to address the serious concerns
expressed by so many constituencies."

About
the ANAFounded
in 1910, the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) leads the marketing
community by providing its members with insights, collaboration, and advocacy.
ANA's membership includes 400 companies with 10,000 brands that collectively
spend over $250 billion in marketing communications and advertising. The ANA
strives to communicate marketing best practices, lead industry initiatives,
influence industry practices, manage industry affairs, and advance, promote,
and protect all advertisers and marketers. For more information, visit www.ana.net, follow us on Twitter,
join us on Facebook, or visit our YouTube channel.